Matt Reel workshop

I recently had the opportunity to work on some trees with Matt Reel. Matt hails from Portland, Oregon, and is a member of the Portland Bonsai Village. For eight years, he apprenticed with Shinji Suzuki. These days he can be found working on client trees, teaching classes and leading demonstrations across the country.

I met Matt in 2009 at the Taikan Bonsai Museum in Obuse, Japan, and was impressed with his work. It was a treat to finally work with him after so many years.

What I most appreciate about working with experienced professionals is their eye for seeing potential in bonsai. Matt helped out by working on a few of my trees and providing guidance aimed at pointing the trees towards brighter futures. I’m happy with the results!

Matt Reel

Applying raffia

Preparing a branch to be bent

Wiring young branches

Ume – before cutback and wiring

After cutback and wiring

Finding the front on a young black pine

If you’re interested in working with Matt or seeing more of his work, check out his website – try the post “Autumn Displays for Taikan-ten” for starters – or get in touch with him directly at matthewj dot reel at gmail dot com.